Surabanya, East Java (Antara) - The export of the "Strategic Sealift Vessel" (SSV) warship to the Philippines will continue, Public Relations Chief of PT PAL shipbuilding company Bayu Wicaksono remarked here on Saturday.
He said the second phase of delivery of the SSV warship to the Philippines will be made in mid-April of 2017, although PT PAL President Director Muhammad Firmansyah Arifin had earlier been named as a suspect in a corruption case by the Corruption Eradication Commission.
Wicaksono explained that the delivery will be done, as the company is committed to meeting the deadline set in accordance with the preliminary agreement.
ccording to Wicaksono, timely construction and delivery will become an added value offered by PT PAL Indonesia to the country, which has ordered the warships.
"Besides this, the quality of the vessels and competitive prices can demonstrate that Indonesia's products are able to compete with those offered by the international community," he said.
Earlier, the Philippines had ordered two Landing Platform Dock (LPD) warships of SSV type from Indonesia.
The SSV warship, belonging to the Lloyd Register class, has been domestically built on the order of the Philippine defense ministry. The SSV-1 has been named Tarlac by the Philippine defense minister.
The SSV is an upcoming class of LPD, measuring 123 meters, with a width of 21.6 meters and a speed of 16 knots. The ship can be at sea for up to 30 days.
The SSV can carry two helicopters and a landing craft utility vessel, tanks, and military trucks.
Wicaksono had earlier also confirmed that the naming of the PT PAL president director as a suspect in a corruption case would not affect the production of warships.(*)
